What Did He Do?

What did he do to deserve this? So far it is all charm, bluster, rhetoric. He has hardly been in office nine months. Being cool is not in itself that great. "And he can hardly pass a mirror without stopping," one such nay-sayer adds for good measure.

Besides the many who are rightly proud, there are many -- perhaps not quite as many, remembering the not-too-long-ago election results -- who begrudge this anointing of our young president with the Nobel Prize.

Pointing out that many are denouncing the award as "absurd," Tim Rutten asks -- I will paraphrase his remark -- "Is this year's prize, then, to reward words and not deeds?"

This does call for a consideration of "doing," acting, accomplishing, bringing something about.
What is "action"? What are its components? Of what does it consist? Borrowing from a parallel question put to another young president, "It depends on what the definition of is, is." The same goes for action. An act does not start when the hand reaches an object.

Action also has many external forms and multiple roots. An act -- a voluntary act, that is -- arises from rivulets in the mind, the organic soil of which is lodged in the brain.

In the background of any act is a wish -- which may be unconscious -- that progresses to an intention, then to will, a decision, and at the conscious end, transmission of an impulse to a body part, which makes a move into the outer world.

On that surface, we know today that an act can be other than a physical change. There is psychic reality as well as material reality. A thing is not only what you can touch; it can also be what you feel. A mood is a thing, an entity. It comes from somewhere and can lead to something. Depression can lead to death; anxiety to almost anything.

With that extended thinking, President Obama did much at once. His very election affected a major change, altering the mood of the country and the world from cynicism and doubt to optimism and hope. Rationality entered the seat of power. The perception of a bully was altered to the likelihood of a friend. Nations as units might now expect to argue with reason.

This was "doing" a great deal, in one move, by bringing about one event. It was on this basis that the Nobel nomination was made, actually a few weeks, not eight months, after Obama acceded to his new post.

But more is in the offing, in progress, not assured but awaiting future developments. The president has announced his wishes, intentions, and would-be decisions on most areas of conflict, health, economics, immigration, moral and ethical issues.

The Nobel Peace Prize did not depend on the outcome of these intentions, which are much in the hands of others. Neither achievements nor future failures on these fronts can be attributed to Obama alone; outcomes will depend on the group process.

The surprise Prize may have shocked and disturbed some, but is not inexplicable to any. Obama joins many other leaders who, in his words, have been transformative.

Comments

[noralou]

What has he done? That's easy, he isn't Bush. That is such a relief to other countries that they may have over-reacted. Hopefully Obama will live up to his prize.
Just remember: He isn't Bush. For that alone, if I could, I would award him the Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, heck, the Blue Ribbon for best pie at the fair and any other well known award.
I am so happy. He isn't Bush. I just keep reminding myself of that when I get impatient with the pace with which change is happening.

[DrP]

Yes.

[edejan]

"Is this year's prize, then, to reward words and not deeds?"
Words, well--spoken and passionate, have always had power. They can be the catalyst for great change and should not be disparaged.
President Obama is a great orater with a right-thinking and moral message. AT THE LEAST, he will inpsire many to do great deeds. He has already changed the perception of our country in the world community. This is a good thing.

[strick9]

I agree with the Nobel committee. I must admit that i have been disappointed that many of his promises have not yet been successful, but many have and those resisting change have a lot of support from those profiting from the status quo, insurance lobbyist, corporate executives, defense contractors, and many others that profit from the sad state of affairs the Republican Party have created. He was nominated after only 11 days in office but his election signaled change and he has accomplished many things that we liberals, and the world, stands for before their recent vote. There is much more to accomplish while he is in office and the Republicans will fight him all the way. We must all stand together to accomplish our goals and not be discouraged because things are not happening fast enough.

[SAGMUN]

In Minnesota's Itasca Park there is a tiny creek you can step-over that is the source of the mighty Mississippi River.

Likewise, Obama's efforts of world-wide reconciliation will receive the contributions of many Nations and individuals. It is for this, he and his supporters received the Noble Peace Prize.

In contrast to the smug logic-tight compartment thinkers, the "clever" ones, and the orgasmic iconoclasts, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee acted with upmost prudence.

[wltdnfaded]

This is the very reason why I have left The Daily Kos and have requested that they delete my account and diaries. I expected hate-filled vitriol from the Right, but not from "my own people." This has showed me how very childish and selfish Americans really are. NOW NOW NOW NOW I WANT IT RIGHT NOW WAH WAH WAH NOW NOW NOW.

I'm done.

[den1953]

What America did by electing President Obama is we as Americans did the right thing that is what happened!

[GardenerNorCal]

It's hard to stay optimistic when you don't have a job or a home and you see no real reform being passed. It's hard to stay optimistic when nothing has been accomplished to rein in Israel's agression against it's neighbors. It's hard to stay optimistic when what passes for health care and environment al reform mandates additional costs to consumers and plans on setting up another derivatives market while the top 1% are never ask to absorb the costs, they only stand ready to reap the profits. It's hard to stay optimistic when you see a buildup in the war in Afghanastan with no clear definition of what constitutes a victory there, or who the enemy is. It's hard to stay optimistic when some are still denied their civil rights.

[ResidualSelfImage]

Kissinger taught Obama at Harvard.
They are birds of a feather.
They both got the award.
Obama is just a pretty face while continuing the occupation of Palestine.

[Marnie1]

He is the first ethnically Non-Euro American to be elected President. And, I believe the first Non-Euro to be elected leader of a Euro-ethnic country.
Considering the place of North America, and Europe in the World, and their impact on the rest of the world for the last couple of millennia, that is huge.
In additin he comes with a prodigious intellectual background. That, in and of itself, achieved in a still very racist country, is note worthy.

It is great that much of the US and much of the world has already adjusted to the concept of an mixed race President for the US, as a normality, but it really isn’t and should be honored.

[hasheville]

It is a sad state of affairs when our country is so full of armchair cynics and critics and hatemongering political strategists that we can't simply be happy for a brief moment that the Nobel prize committee has honored our president. Would these people be so obnoxious as to counter a friend receiving a compliment with "What the hell has she done to deserve this?" - insulting both their friend and the one offering the compliment. I also fault the media, so quick to jump on any opportunity to stir up controversy about Obama, has failed to report his many achievements since taking office. I'm embarrassed by my countrymen who act like such brats before the world that clearly appreciates our president and wants to thank us for voting him into the white house.

[booker52]

I am surprised at the number of media folks who put down President Obama for receiving this award. The mere fact that he changes the tone is great. He is open to try and get our status back with other countries. He is not willing to rubber stamp funds for two wars. He wants to look at where we are and where we should go. Too many naysayers don't like the fact that President Obama chooses to take care of many issues. I do believe it's call multi tasking!! Better then what we put up with for eight years under former President Bush, who didn't act like the commander in chief, but deferred his decisions to those around him.

[Flavor]

I agree. I fann you.

[dhampton100]

Not one of these people faced down the odds of being born poor black and rose up to become a prominent politician, having the audacity to contemplate overcoming 400 years of racism to achieve the Presidency. Not one of these people even believed in Mr. Obama’s possibility to overcome so many seemingly impossible odds to arrive at his place of power. After he won the election and as Muhammad Ali would say “He shook up the world” you still act as if he has not accomplished an earth-shattering prize. He has reversed our sliding reputation in the world by going all over the world and, not apologizing, but restarting our relationships. You people remind me of my drunk uncle--he was wrong about every single thing but he refused to shut up! Now, here you sit now, pontificating about how he doesn’t deserve it and if he doesn’t turn it down and chooses to accept it, this is what he should say. You never once mention that you wouldn’t dream of ever turning down an honor of such magnitude. Have you people lost your ever-loving minds? I hope you people don’t mind if I decide never to place credence in anything you ever write or say for as long as I live. You were wrong from the beginning, you were wrong in the middle, you were wrong at the ending and you are wrong now! Why can’t you just say “Congratulations Mr. President” and go sit down somewhere?

[Demster]

Here, here. Well said.

[Arion]

Many, many thanks, Dr.L. I've been reading you since the 60s, anyway, then in the QUARTERLY and now here. You always combine psychoanalytic perspective with penetrating common sense.

[SiberianRat]

Sadly, many Americans have NO CLUE how much he has done for our country with regards to how the world views us. This positive change will impact so many areas of domestic life (investment, trade, cultural exchange, etc.) and national security. I live in what very recently was the staunchest enemy of the US, and on the brink of Cold War II, he turned things around and received more cooperation than I would have thought possible.

[1dogs2]

Americans' failure to see the US from the perspective of the world at large is stunning. Both left and right are dismissive of the significance and effect of President Obama's foreign policy initiatives. Any American who travelled abroad during the election season knows the effect Obama had in other countries, reflected in the restoration of the US in under 9 months from well down the list to first place as the most admired country in the world. But many Americans have missed the world-wide appeal of Obama's vision of a more just and peaceful world and of the early steps he has taken toward that end -- reaching out to the Muslim world, initiating diplomatic talks with Iran, trying to restart peace talks in the Middle East, ending the use of torture and vowing to close Guantanamo, chairing a meeting of the UN Security Council that unanimously adopted the goal of ridding the world of nuclear weapons. Thanks for adding to that list the thaw in our relations with Russia.

He has single-handedly changed the tone of international relations, and the Nobel committee finds that worthy of recognition even if many commenters here do not.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/11/snl-takes-on-obamas-peace_n_316630.html?page=3&show_comment_id=32639624#comment_32639624